Maria Matarelli Blogs

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Day in and Day out...
Have you heard someone say "I can't believe another year has gone by"? Just yesterday, it seemed like summer and already another winter is approaching. I used to have moments of thinking time was passing by too fast or not knowing where the summer went until I made a shift in my perspective a handful of years ago. I had been working in a job, wanting to get ahead, thinking of a certification I thought I should be working toward, but not really making any progress. The days came and went and they just seemed to pass me by.

I have since deemed that first certification my "Everest". It seemed so difficult to achieve, but the only real roadblock was me. My procrastination. Then one day there was an announcement that the certification requirements were changing and there was a deadline to take the test before they came out with the new version. In lieu of this new externally imposed deadline and not wanting to have to start over, I became determined to get that certification. After taking a prep class, occasionally studying here and there, and carrying the book around with me for about two months straight, I sat down and really studied over a four-day weekend, scheduled my exam within a few weeks and went and passed it!

This achievement seemed out of reach until I thought of how much more complex it would be to start all over from the beginning with new material which sounded less desirable. I refer to this as my "Everest" because it was the biggest challenge in my path that until I conquered it, I couldn't seem to move forward in other development areas. I imagine that if you were to climb to the top of Mt. Everest, the world's highest mountain with a peak 29,002 ft above sea level, other mountains would seem like a piece of cake after that. Well thats what happened with me, by the time I finally buckled down and conquered that Everest, it was like an opening of floodgates. I saw that it wasn't as difficult as I had made it out to be. My next achievements and ambitions became easier and easier to complete. Things aren't as hard as you may have originally thought once you make up your mind to go and do it. Only the first of anything is hardest to get.

The Mindset Shift
When you set goals that you are working toward, as time passes, you are making progress toward that goal. You can identify incremental achievements along the way and find inspiration and momentum from small wins. As time passes, instead of feeling like time is passing you by or you are losing another year of time, you will be that much closer to achieving your high set, far reaching goals and conquering milestones along the way. When you shift your focus to be more goal oriented, you are making progress with every day. You just need to identify what you want to strive toward.

Time flies. Whether you are making progress toward your goals or just feel like you are losing time is all in your perspective. Behind me is no longer lost time, it is gained experience, accomplishments, additional knowledge and one step closer toward reaching my next goal. Get inspired. Set your goals today and embrace that sense of accomplishment and excitement of achievement that comes with it.